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The Freeport High School team solved problems at last year's Math League finals at Penn State New Kensington.

Image: Bill Woodard

Kiski School leads after first round of math league competition

Nine high schools vie for StrongLand Interscholastic Mathematics League title

November 21, 2013

Kiski School leads after first round of math league competition

Students from nine area high schools had their math skills put to the test in October, for the first round of the StrongLand Interscholastic Mathematics League at Penn State New Kensington.

Sponsored by the StrongLand Chamber of Commerce's Educational Committee, the annual competition brings together students from Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Ford City, Freeport, Kiski Area, Kiski School, Kittanning, Leechburg and Valley high schools, and gives them the chance to go head-to-head with each other in an academic competition.

Each school is allowed three teams of five students, competing against all the other teams in each round. Students answer two sets of eight questions within the 25-minute limit for each set. The questions in algebra, geometry and other areas of mathematics are developed by Ge Mu, instructor in mathematics at Penn State New Kensington.

At the end of the first round, the leader board looks familiar as the Kiski School A team scored 37 points to open a 4-point advantage on Kiski School B. The A teams Burrell and Kiski Area are in the hunt with 32 and 29 points, respectively. Immanuel Joy of Kiski School is the individual leader with 16 points.

Scores carry over to the final round that is slated for Feb. 20 in the campus' Forum Theatre where team and individual champions will be crowned. A college preparatory boarding school in Saltsburg, Pa., Kiski School is the four-time defending champion.

“The Math League serves as a wonderful way to motivate our students to achieve their best study potentials in mathematics,” said Mu, who joined the New Kensington campus faculty last year.

Mu holds a master of arts in mathematics degree from Penn State, where she taught mathematics for two years before arriving at the New Kensington campus. A native of China, Mu has written two books: “Being an Undergraduate in the U.S.” that was published by Heilongjiang Education Press in 2006 and “Comprehensive College Algebra – Building Mathematics Insights through Logic and Exercises” that was published by Cognella Academic Publishing in 2013. The first book was written when she was an undergraduate and is based on her experiences at Louisiana State University. She was recognized for her publication at LSU’s commencement ceremony in 2008.

For additional information, contact Mu at 724-334-6030 or gxm929@psu.edu.